Bike light system
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another vote for ay-up! lights. bought sets for my wife and i last year, they totally rock. ordered directly from australia, only took about a week to get here.
http://www.ayup-lights.com/
http://www.ayup-lights.com/
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+1 on the Ay-Ups. They are awesome lights. The "regular" batteries last me at least 4 hours. Price is not bad compared to offerings by Dinotte, Nite Rider and Light in Motion.
Many are raving about the Magic Shine. At $90 they throw alot of light, but I am not sure if they work mounted to a helmet. If I had to choose, I would want my light on my helmet. With my pair of Ay-Ups, I have one on the bars and on my helmet.
Many are raving about the Magic Shine. At $90 they throw alot of light, but I am not sure if they work mounted to a helmet. If I had to choose, I would want my light on my helmet. With my pair of Ay-Ups, I have one on the bars and on my helmet.
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I have a pair of MagicShine, you can mount them anywhere. I've beat the crap out of them, they're still working great and REALLY bright.Blue CheeseHead said:
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Blue CheeseHead said:
simple- you either buy the optional helmet mount or depending on your helmet structure just mount it up as is... they also have a newish super magic brighter light
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I had a NiteRider system (Blowtorch) that I used for 7 years until the batteries died completely and no longer were being made. It was a good, reliable system, but the bottle cage batteries were heavy and it was difficult to carry two batteries if you needed light for more than the 4 hour charge time. I currently have a Dinotte system. I have not used it too much, but I have been very happy with it. The batteries have a fairly long charge even if you are using them at full force and they are small enough that you could keep a spare in your pocket if you were riding all night.gearbolt said:
Whether you want to spend approximately $500 on a lighting system depends on how much use you plan to get out of it. If the lights only are for one double century, you probably could get away with something cheaper. Cheap rear lights are not a problem -- even the weakest ones give off enough light that you can be seen (especially if you have some reflectors or reflective gear, too). But, good front lights are essential for night riding in places were there is no other light and the roads are not in good shape. Potholes are very hard to see in the dark. Where will you be when it is dark and what the night will be like (i.e., full moon, clear skies?) will make a difference in what you will need. I once did a century at night on great roads during a full moon -- the riders really did not need much lights that night.
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As a DiNotte owner and someone who has seen the Magic Shine 900 in action, the Magic Shine is really difficult to beat, especially at the price. You can get a 900 front and rear for $20 more than you can get just a front from DiNotte, and they are brighter and throw more light.
HIDTechnologies is another Australian company. Their lights are much better than Ayups. I run a Lumen8r Quad on my bars and a Pygmy Max on my helmet for mtbing and just the Pygmy Max on the bars for road riding with no problem descending on unlit rural roads.supercorsa said:
Thanks, guys, for all of the info.
My budget is $300 (Max) and I prefer I can see the road with the light @ night since I am
not sure if ride route will be well lighted.
I am looking for good battery life (it should last many charge cycles) and robust wiring and easy to find replacement parts.
Thanks again.
My budget is $300 (Max) and I prefer I can see the road with the light @ night since I am
not sure if ride route will be well lighted.
I am looking for good battery life (it should last many charge cycles) and robust wiring and easy to find replacement parts.
Thanks again.
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91 Posts
Ayup Ayup AYUP
The four hour batteries are so light, you can carry two. Just don't look at your riding buddies or they will be permanently blinded and sunburned.
The four hour batteries are so light, you can carry two. Just don't look at your riding buddies or they will be permanently blinded and sunburned.
I just got my MagicShine 900 today. Charged it up and took it out for a quick 20 miles after 9pm. All I can say is WOW! This is my first bike light and I can't believe that I've missed out on night riding for so many years! It was fantastic. The MS throws out plenty of light, about the equivalent of a standard car headlight. Plenty of light for road riding, easy to install, and it's still running strong after 2 1/2 hours (still "green," which means 75+%) I'm sure it's good for 3-4 hours east. There may be better lights out there, but for the money, it's hard to beat.
I may end up buying the MS 1400 and putting the 900 on my helmet. That may be too bright for oncoming traffic though.
Buy a MS. You won't be disappointed, at least not for $90-100. GeoMan provides excellent customer service as well.
I may end up buying the MS 1400 and putting the 900 on my helmet. That may be too bright for oncoming traffic though.
Buy a MS. You won't be disappointed, at least not for $90-100. GeoMan provides excellent customer service as well.
I've gone through several Niterider systems over the years, and refuse to buy them anymore. Last year I bought a Magic Shine light for less than $100. Its been a great light -- especially given what it costs. There's no reason to spend $300 or more on a light, especially if its for a single ride. Get the Magic Shine and perhaps a spare battery if you think you'll be riding in the dark longer than 3 hours. The 900 version puts out plenty of light. I see they have an even brighter model now. Probably more appropriate for mountain biking in the dark than road riding.
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